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Dragon
Dragons are large, flying creatures native to Deltora. Each species of dragon is territorial to their respective territory and shares it with its respective tribe and gem. Once abundant in Deltora, dragon species steadily declined and are now nearly extinct. History Early life In ages past dragons roamed the skies of Deltora (then called the Land of Dragons) freely and did so without fear. They were the land's guardians, and had a special connection to sense when it was hurt or in danger. This connection notified the dragons of the cataclysmic event that merged the lands Deltora and its sister island, Pirra. They took to the air for the duration of the event. A race known as the Capricon stole Ruby dragon eggs to turn them into lanterns to decorate their beautiful city of Capra. The dragons gave them three warnings to stop the slaughter, but the Capricons were drunk on the idea of perfecting their city. In retaliation, the dragons destroyed the city. Sometime later, the city of Broome was built on Capra's ruins. When the Shadow Lord first arrived in Emerald territory, he was confronted by an Emerald dragon. He attempted to persuade the dragon to serve him with promises of treasure and power, but the dragon rebuffed his offers and blasted him with fire. After he fled into the mountains, the dragons remained vigilant should he attempt a return. During his exile, the Shadow Lord sent his servants to steal dragon eggs so he could raise his own dragon army. Each of these ventures always turned up empty handed. The Battle for Deltora When the Shadow Lord began its invasion of Deltora, the dragons opposed him. While they did not fight alongside the human armies, they burned swaths of Gers whenever they could. However, the Shadow Lord was well prepared for the dragons. During its exile, it bred seven monstrous birds called Ak-Baba, which could kill lone dragons by hunting in a well disciplined pack. They killed lone dragons when they could and fled when the numbers were unfavorable. During Adin's quest to forge the Belt of Deltora, he was aided by dragons on several occasions. A Lapis Lazuli dragon saved Adin from a Sand Beast in the Shifting Sands, which allowed Adin to return the beast's head to the chiefs of the Mere tribe in exchange for the Lapis Lazuli. Later, the Ralads called a Ruby dragon's aid to distract a Gers battalion so that they could bring Adin to their city. An Opal dragon appeared in the skies above Hira during the Battle for Deltora. It fought against the seven Ak-Baba, which kept them from attacking the armies of Deltora. The palace of Del is decorated with the images of Opal dragons in grattitude. Decline of the Dragons Over the years since the Battle of Deltora, people began to lose their faith in the dragons. Farmers saw them as pests who stole their livestock, and maidens were frequently abducted so that their hair could line dragon nests. The people of Broome distrusted dragons due to the Ruby dragons destroying the city of Capra. It became custom for all the women of the city to shave their heads to deter dragons from coming. Only the Jalis tribe had any respect for dragons; they saw them as the ultimate test of valor for their knights to slay. During the time of King Lucan, a explorer named Doran began studying dragons. He became fascinated with them, and talked to them on the same level as humans. Because of this, all seven dragon tribes endulged personal secrets to him, and bestowed him with the title "Dragonfriend." To the people of Deltora he was known as Dragonlover. As the power of the Belt of Deltora diminished, the Shadow Lord was able to send his Ak-Baba into Deltora to hunt the dragons. This way they could not thward the Shadow Lord's plans to have the Four Sisters poison Deltora slowly. Doran pleeded to the king to interveen, but was always rebuffed. The people of Deltora were more than happy to have fewer dragons. While traveling Deltora to create the traveler's guide Secrets of Deltora, ''Doran used the opportunity to check up on the dragon populations. By the end of his journey there was only one member of each tribe left. Fortunately, Doran was able to think up a plan. He convinced each member to go into hiding until the king wearing the Belt of Deltora would come to their territories and awaken them. He also made them promise not to invade another dragon's territory. The dragon's agreed, and went into a deep sleep. Doran had ''Secrets of Deltora completed by Withick, Deltora's greatest artist, to insure that the book would make its way to Lucan's son, prince Gareth. He also hid a secret message inside the text, in a code that he knew only Gareth would know how to decifer. However, Withick died shortly after Doran returned to Del. Chief Advisor Drumm declaied that the book was too valuable to be shown to the public, and had it locked away. Because of this, the dragons remained in sleep far longer than any of them anticipated. The Diamond dragon Forta ended up dying in her sleep when she was consumed by Fleshbanes. Deltora Shadowlands King Lief, Barda, Jasmine, and Glock encountered the last of the Topaz dragons — Fidelis — on their way to the Pirran Sea. At the time, Lief was wearing a fake Belt of Deltora, so he was unable to awaken the dragon. However, his presence caused Fidelis to open his eye momentarily, causing Lief to become mesmerized when he looked into it. Later, when the Pirran Pipe had been restored and played for the first time in centuries, Fidelis heard the music and drempt of happier times. Dragons of Deltora After destroying the crystal, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine learn about the Four Sisters, and set out to destroy them. One by one they awaken each of the remaining dragons, who help them in destroying the sisters and healing the land from their poisoning. They also came to Lief's aid to destroy the Grey Tide, and fought the Seven Ak-Baba one last time, killing four of them. Afterwards, they attended Lief and Jasmine's wedding. Characteristics Dragons exist in seven tribes, mirroring the seven tribes of Deltoran, and each tribe has an affiliation with one of the great gems. They are highly territorial toward dragons of other tribes and have the innate ability to sense if another tribe's dragon has trespassed in their land. Their eyes and the scales on their upper bodies match the gem they are affiliated with, but all dragons have pale undersides that change colour to match the sky above them. This is a highly effective camouflage. Dragon eyes have a hypnotic quality to them. All dragons are highly intelligent and capable of human speech, powerful, and have a degree of pride. Doran the Dragonlover advises travelers that encounter dragons to bow their heads and remain still, greet the dragon politely – using its gem name, such as the "dragon of the Topaz" – praise the beauty of the dragon's territory, and ask permission to leave. He also advises never to turn your back on a dragon. To dragons, knowing a being's true name is to have great power over that being. As a result, asking for a dragon's true name is considered highly offensive. Conversely, a dragon willingly giving its true name shows an extremely high degree of trust. Teeth, which symbolize strength, wisdom, and power, are also prominent in dragon superstitions, and newborn dragons are encouraged to swallow their baby teeth when their adult fangs grow in. Dragons are generally solitary creatures, though they may occasionally enjoy company. It appears that dragons hold their mates in high regard, as Fortuna and the original Forta both grieved over the death of their mates. All dragons have a particular fondness for human hair, preferably longer than shoulder-length. Dragon nests, while primarily made out of stones stacked in a circle, are lined with soft material, and most dragons prefer to use hair for this purpose. They will, however, make do with all manner of other soft objects. Dragons breed very slowly, typically only having one or two offspring in their entire lifespans. Dragon eggs are large, have very thick and hard shells coloured to match their tribe's gem, and do not need heat. The egg can hatch after roughly six months, at which point the egg must be exposed either to fire or, in the case of baby Forta, the Belt of Deltora and the dragon tribe's gem. Normally the egg's parents provide the fire that encourages the hatching, but another dragon may do so if it chooses. To offset the slow birthrate of dragons, the eggs may remain dormant for centuries. It is also said by Doran that both male and female dragons can produce eggs alone if the need is dire. Newly hatched dragons – called "dragonlings" – are initially palm-sized and can walk and breathe fire immediately. They form their titanium-hard skin in the egg. Dragons grow rapidly after hatching and never stop growing until the day they die. Dragons have natural lifespans of roughly 500 years. Dragons of all tribes have the ability to enter an enchanted sleep, wherein they are apparently only able to be awakened by their tribe’s gem wielded, in the Belt of Deltora, by the King of the land. This sleep allows the dragons to survive without eating, drinking, or even moving for centuries. It was in this manner that six of Deltora's remaining dragons were saved from being hunted by the Ak-Baba (one was unable to defend herself from being eaten due to sleeping in Blood Lily Island, where the ferocious Flesh Banes lurk). Diet Dragons are carnivorous and, as apex predators, could prey on virtually any of the fantastical fauna in Deltora with impunity. A Dragons diet varies greatly depending on their habitat and the territory that they live in. Topaz Dragons, or at least the ones that nest around the Os-Mine Hills appear to prey heavily on Granous, Lapis Lazuli dragons regularly feed on, and indeed consider a great delicacy, Terreocti and are their only natural predators and Emerald Dragons have been known to include Ooze Toad, being the only creatures immune to their venom, and Stinger in their diets. All Dragons, however seem to include fish in their diets, particularly the dragons from the Ruby, Amethyst and Diamond territories who seem to feed primarily on fish, possibly because their nesting grounds are close to the ocean. Dragon species There are different dragon tribes in the land of Deltora. Each kind bears the name of the tribe's gem and are the same colour as it. Diamond dragons Diamond dragons share their territory with the Jalis tribe and draw power from the great Diamond. The last known Diamond dragon is Forta. Diamond dragons have colourless scales that glitter in the light, making some mistake their colour for silver. They share many traits with the Jalis knights; they are aggressive and ruthless toward their enemies, but are loyal and generous towards friends. They are also highly superstitious and respectful of tradition. Diamond dragons are physically the strongest tribe of dragons, and because of this Jalis knights would hunt them as proof of their valor. Diamonds dragons prey on almost every species of animal in their territory, from fish, sea serpents, and Kobb young to Bird Banes, Diamond Pythons, and Tuskers. They would feed on livestock and other domestic animals on occasion, and have even been known to graze on plant life such as Bood Lilies and Grippers. Emerald dragons Emerald dragons share their territory with the Dread Gnome tribe and draw power from the great Emerald. The last known Emerald dragon is Honora. Emerald dragons have glittering green scales and believe in honor above all else. Because of this, they are proud, stern, and lack senses of humor, but are also very dependable. They are also strong and often confrontational, particularly toward Lapis Lazuli dragons, whom they view as dishonorable. Emerald dragons prefer a diet of cold-blooded creatures, such as Bubblers, Stingers, Blood Creepers, eels, and Ooze Toads. They will eat warm-blooded creatures, including humans, gnomes, domestic animals and Kin if they are desperate. Lapis Lazuli dragons Lapis Lazuli dragons share their territory with the Mere tribe and draw power from the great Lapis Lazuli. The last known Lapis Lazuli dragon is Fortuna. Lapis Lazuli dragons have midnight blue scales covered in silver marking resembling stars. They are physically smaller and lighter than other dragons, but are able to fly much faster as a result. They have unusually long necks. They are impulsive and easily bored, as well as friendlier than most other dragon tribes. Lapis Lazuli dragons also have quick wits, enjoy songs, and have good senses of humor. They strongly believe in luck and like to take risks as a result. They are frequently at odds with Emerald dragons, which look down on them for believing in luck rather than honor. Likewise, Lapis Lazuli dragons enjoy taunting the emerald dragons. Lapis Lazuli dragons feed exclusively on cold-blooded creatures and express disgust at the thought of eating warm-blooded animals. Their favourite prey appear to be Terreocti, as the dragons enjoy their crunchiness. They will also eat fish, snakes, and lizards. Topaz dragons Topaz dragons share their territory with the Del tribe and draw power from the great Topaz. The last known Topaz dragon is Fidelis. Topaz dragons have golden-yellow scales and eyes. They are thoughtful and spiritual, traits befitting their gem. They are also reliable, determined, and serious. A Topaz dragon is featured in the Tenna Birdsong Tale, The Girl with the Golden Hair. Granous are the main prey of Topaz dragons. They also eat Vine-weaver Birds, fish,dragon Lizards, and, when desperate, domestic animals. Opal dragons Opal dragons share their territory with the Plains tribe and draw power from the great Opal. The last known Opal dragon is Hopian. Opal dragons' scales and eyes glitter in a rainbow of colours. They are serious and formal and lack the impulsive nature of Lapis Lazuli dragons. Instead, they prefer to be careful and plan their actions. Their eyesight is the best among the dragon tribes, a reference to the clairvoyant powers of the opal. At least one Opal dragon participated in the Battle for Deltora. Opal dragons feed on most of the fauna in their territory, including Muddlet foals, Pinwheel Vipers, rats, and fish from the River Broad. They do not, however, eat Wise Fish. Fighting Spiders are a delicacy to them. Ruby dragons Ruby d ragons share their territory with the Ralad tribe and draw power from the great Ruby. The last known Ruby dragon is Joyeu. Ruby dragons' scales and eyes are coloured in shades of red, from bright ruby red to deep maroon. Ruby dragons are generally good-natured, playful, and slow to anger. This kindness reflects the ruby, which represents happiness. The Ralads respect the ruby dragons and view them as being vitally connected to Deltora's fate. Ruby dragons feed on various Ruby territory creatures, including fish, snakes, Pig Rats, and Painted Plain Deer. They have also been observed catching Sea Serpents. Amethyst dragons Amethyst dragons share their territory with the Toran tribe and draw power from the great Amethyst. The last known Amethyst dragon is Veritas. Amethyst dragons have scales and eyes coloured in shades of violet and purple. They are wise, philosophical, and intelligent, even by dragon standards, and enjoy intelligent discussion and poetry. They are also responsible and value truth, befitting their gem. Amethyst dragons are, on average, the largest of Deltora's dragons and have the longest lifespans out of the seven tribes. Unlike other tribes of dragons, Amethyst dragons do not sleep in caves or other secluded locations, but rather sleep in the open. Amethyst dragons have a diet consisting mainly of aquatic creatures, including eels from the River Tor, fish from the Silver Sea, and a variety of seaweeds. Trivia Note that almost all of the dragons' wings are on their backs except for the Lapis Lazuli Dragon References Category:Fauna Category:Deltora Category:Dragons